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If the Medellín Metro Could Speak

August 15th, 2024 by Melissa Mar

This summer, I spent 10 weeks abroad in the City of Eternal Spring, Medellín, Colombia. During this time, my days varied greatly, but one thing remained consistent: nearly every day began and ended on the metro. The metro took me everywhere I needed to go and everywhere I wanted to be. On lucky days, I found a seat; on others, I was packed tightly among fellow commuters. Some mornings, I boarded yawning and weary, longing to still be in bed. Other mornings, I could hardly contain my excitement about the day ahead. In the evenings, I frequently boarded feeling exhausted, struggling to keep my eyes open. From time to time, I was drenched from the unpredictable rain that no weather app could forewarn. Sometimes, I boarded with a smile on my face; other times, with tears in my eyes. I often think that if anyone could tell the story of my time abroad better than I could, it would be the metro—if only it could speak.

Medellín Metro Rail

Medellín Metro Rail

The Medellín Metro has been the gateway to many great adventures in the city, while also reliably ensuring my safe arrival to my Loewenstern Placement on workdays. My commute this summer was quite extensive. It began with a Metro bus ride to the rail station, followed by a 10-stop journey on Line A through the heart of the city. After disembarking, a short walk took me to the office. Of course, I always made sure to stop by the nearby bakery for breakfast before heading into work. I had a fantastic experience working with my placement at Pygmalion Tech. My primary responsibilities involved developing two Python courses: one designed to introduce students to programming and another aimed at teaching adults the basics of data science. These projects were a great opportunity for me to refine my skills and improve my ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, which was both challenging and deeply rewarding. I found that my lengthy commute provided the perfect time to brainstorm and revise my course content. On several occasions, I rushed from the metro to work to jot down the plethora of ideas that I feared I would forget.

Bakery Near My Placement

Beyond facilitating my daily commutes, the Medellín Metro also marked the start and end of many adventures. One of the most memorable was the long and winding bus ride to the trailhead of a popular hike in the Medellín countryside. I vividly recall struggling to keep my balance while standing on the moving bus, gripping the support bars with all my might, and doing my best to avoid falling onto the strangers who would soon become friends. Thanks to social media, I was able to connect with a group of locals who organized weekly excursions and joined them for my first hike on the outskirts of Medellín. We met at one of the Metro rail stops and traveled together to the trailhead. During our hike to El Chorro de las Campanas, the breathtaking waterfall that was our ultimate destination, I enjoyed wonderful conversations with my new companions. This experience was one of the first that made me feel less isolated in Medellín, the warmth of the people was quite different from the chill of the waterfall. Swimming in the refreshing waters was a soul-cleansing experience, and that evening, I boarded the metro rail, covered in mud, exhausted, but so incredibly happy.

El Chorro de las Campanas

Another adventure the metro facilitated was my journey to Comuna 13, a neighborhood in Medellín with a complex yet inspiring history. Once considered the most dangerous part of the city due to paramilitary, guerrilla, and gang violence, it has now become one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, celebrated for its powerful and historical street art. I was fortunate to take a tour with a local resident who had lived in Comuna 13 his entire life. He shared his personal experiences of living through the area’s tumultuous past and narrated the remarkable transformation of the community through creativity. Visiting this historically rich area and hearing from a local so proud of his neighborhood’s evolution was an incredibly eye-opening experience.

Comuna 13

A unique experience the Medellín Metro offers is the metro cable system. Two of these cables serve as the main transportation to another one of Medellín’s top attractions, Parque Arví. The views from the metro cables are breathtaking, offering a stunning panorama of Medellín as you ascend higher and higher. However, they are not for the faint of heart—the cables go so high that your ears start to pop. Parque Arví itself is a stunning escape from the city, though in a city as vibrant as Medellín, it’s hard to imagine wanting to escape. I spent hours sitting in silence by the running water and dipping my feet in the streams of Parque Arví. I loved it so much that I brought a few Loewenstern fellows back with me.

Parque Arví

Of my countless experiences on the metro, my greatest memory is one of simply standing in the metro rail car on the night of July 10th. There was nothing extraordinary about this night, yet everything was special. When I hopped onto the train that evening, I was immediately brought to tears. I looked around, and almost everyone on that train was wearing the same color—a bright yellow that was hard to look at for too long, but even harder to look away from. The shirts had touches of blue and red, all jerseys for the Colombian national soccer team who were playing that night in the Copa America games, with their fate of reaching the final on the line.

The sight made me emotional in ways I couldn’t fully explain. To put it simply, I was wearing the same colors, the same jersey, and in that moment, I felt a profound connection to this community, sharing their excitement, pride, and joy for the national team. I was on my way to watch the game, hoping for a victory for Colombia. Although I had never been a huge soccer fan, I found myself deeply invested in this team’s success. I am Mexican to the core, but that night I was all in for Colombia.

Being surrounded by such a passionate community made it impossible not to cry. I would not trade my time on the metro for anything in the world, and I am profoundly grateful to have spent a summer in Medellín where these unforgettable moments were made possible for me.

Copa America Watch Party

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¡Buenas! Loewenstern Summer 2024 in Bogotá and More

July 31st, 2024 by Siddhant Patil

Arrival into Colombia

As soon as I landed in Bogotá, the reality of being in a country where less than 1% of people speak English quickly set in. The fact that just about everything was labeled in Spanish added to my initial nervousness, and the size of the El Dorado airport, one of the largest in South America, didn’t help either. However, this nervousness was quickly eased by the friendly driver who picked me up. This car ride was my first real experience speaking exclusively Spanish, and after we introduced ourselves for a bit, he asked if I had ever heard of Vallenato. Admitting that I hadn’t, he then introduced me to some of his favorite music, Vallenato being a traditional genre from northern Colombia where he was from.

Unrefrigerated Eggs and Milk in Carulla (kind of like a Colombian Whole Foods)

The next morning before our meeting with the community partner, Meghan Paral (the other Loewenstern Fellow in Bogotá) and I decided to do some quick grocery shopping, where I was surprised to see that eggs and milk weren’t refrigerated. The first of many interesting differences between the US and Colombia. Later that day, at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, which was the community partner we’d be working with, our mentor Dr. Diego Patiño explained the tasks and goals for this summer placement. He also encouraged us to use long weekends and holidays to explore Colombia and gave us a lot of flexibility, allowing us to develop the project how we wanted as well as visit many parts of the country.

Kind family who took Meghan and I out for dinner

The kind family that took me and Meghan out for dinner

I did feel a little homesick in the beginning, especially knowing I would be in Colombia for the next several months. Luckily, these feelings disappeared pretty quickly by staying connected to my family through FaceTime calls and sending pictures to them just about every day. The busy schedule of working on the project, preparing and submitting my medical school applications, and exploring the country definitely helped a lot as well. A couple of days after landing, we decided to visit the Museo del Oro in Bogotá. There, we met a group of professors from a local university who kindly recommended places to visit and things to do in the city. Later that day at the museum, I saw an Indian family and decided to strike up a conversation about what brought them to Colombia. They said they loved traveling and had explored much of South America, and we had a great time talking about their past travels and future plans in Colombia. A couple of days later, they treated me and Meghan to dinner, which was really nice of them. This was just the beginning of many such great encounters throughout the trip.

 

 

Kuisa

Riding on the roof of a pickup truck on the way from Kuisa to Riohacha

Riding on the roof of a pickup truck on the way from Kuisa to Riohacha

In the small village of Kuisa, located in the La Guajira District of Colombia, lies a school that PUJ Bogotá is working with to introduce various technologies, such as solar panels and access to computers and tablets. Traveling there was an adventure in itself. The journey involved a plane ride from Bogotá to Riohacha, followed by a four-hour car ride to Uribia, the indigenous capital of Colombia, and another four-hour drive on dirt “roads” to Kuisa. During our first trip back, we experienced a flat tire, causing us to arrive at the airport just 20 minutes before our flight’s departure. On our second trip, there was a lack of space in the pickup truck since there were a lot of things stored in the truck bed, so some of us rode on the roof. The unexpectedness eventually became something to expect.

Sunset in Kuisa

Sunset in Kuisa

In Kuisa, our days started early with the sun rising around 5:30 am, and we had breakfast around 6:30 am before the school day, which usually ran from 7:00 am until 12:30 pm. After lunch, nearly everyone would take a nap, a practice I grew to enjoy. There also weren’t any beds, instead everyone used hammocks. Afternoons were spent either talking with the teachers to better understand the schooling system or exploring the area around Kuisa with the kids, which included a nice trip to the nearby lagoon. We’d have dinner after sundown, and due to the scarcity of clean water, we often drank chicha (a fermented corn drink) or bottled soda. I probably drank more Coca-Cola in those weeks than I had in my entire life.

Laguna De Kuisa and surrounding mountains

At the school in Kuisa, we conducted various workshops and activities. Our first visit was fortunate to have internet connectivity, but by our second visit, the internet tower had broken, and they weren’t sure when it would be repaired. Thankfully, the previous Loewenstern Fellow, Caleb Huang, had downloaded several interactive science and math tools that didn’t require internet access. These tools were a hit with the students, many of whom had never used computers before. Watching their faces light up as they explored these new tools was incredibly rewarding, and some students enjoyed them so much that they even asked to use the computers during their free periods. We also hosted workshops about teamwork for the younger students, one of which was a competition to see which team could build the tallest tower using straws. They seemed to enjoy this a lot, and the candy we brought as prizes added to their enjoyment.

Learning about the indigenous Wayuu culture was another highlight for me. During our second visit, Señor Adelco, who is the leader of the community, taught me about the traditional Wayuu religion. He shared that the lagoon and mountains around Kuisa were believed to contain spirits, and it was common practice to make offerings to promote prosperity. Although he mentioned that everyone in Kuisa is Catholic, these were some of the ancient beliefs of his culture. As a religion major, this conversation was particularly meaningful to me. Drawing parallels between this form of spirit veneration with Shinto in Japan and various tribal faiths in India deepened my appreciation for indigenous religions.

Exploring Colombia

Visiting Cartagena with Melissa and Alec (the Loewenstern Fellows placed in Medellín)

Exploring Colombia outside Bogotá and Kuisa was just as enriching as my experiences in those places. I had the opportunity to visit several major cities, each with its own unique charm, including Medellín, the coastal cities of Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta, as well as Riohacha.

In Medellín, I had the chance to spend several days with the Quillacinga and Los Pastos indigenous groups, and learning about their traditional medicine was fascinating. The tribe’s deep understanding of nature was evident as each tree and plant had a particular use, and they’d just pick fruits off the trees to share them with me. Their extensive knowledge of natural remedies and their connection to the environment was truly inspiring, giving me an insight into the way humans have lived for thousands of years. Traveling to Cartagena and the nearby cities, Meghan and I met with Melissa and Alec, the other Loewenstern fellows who flew in from Medellín. In these coastal cities, the vibe was completely different, and we spent a lot of time visiting the beach and late-night bar hopping.

Looking over the city of Bogotá from the summit of Monserrate

One of my favorite activities during our travels was climbing mountains. I climbed Monserrate in Bogotá several times, Cerro de las Tres Cruces in Medellín, and a random mountain near Kuisa, guided by the local kids. This mountain in Kuisa, referred to as Uchi, was particularly challenging to climb since there was no path like the other mountains, just clearings between the thorny bushes and cacti. The views from the tops of all of them were breathtaking, and I would spend upwards of an hour or two just listening to music and enjoying the natural beauty from there.

Everywhere we went, I noticed that people were pretty curious about my background. When I mentioned I lived in the United States, the follow-up question was almost always, “But where are you really from?” I actually liked it a lot because it was a way to share my Indian culture. Many people were fascinated by the food that Indians ate, and when I told them that 30% of the country is vegetarian, they were pretty surprised. Sharing Indian music with the locals was also a joy, and I was surprised to see just how pervasive Indian culture was. In the big cities, there were always Indian restaurants, but even in the village of Kuisa, one of the school teachers liked watching Indian TV shows dubbed in Spanish, and Señor Adelco was looking at Facebook on his phone when I was pleasantly surprised to hear a song from the famous Bollywood movie “3 Idiots.”

Homemade Coconut Egg Curry

I liked exploring Colombian cuisine, from meals like Ajiaco, Sancocho, and Mojarra to street food like Patacones con Queso, Arepas, Obleas, Limonada de Coco, and mangos with lemon and salt. I did cook a decent amount too, and the affordability of produce encouraged me to cook even more. I often cooked salmon since it was easy to make, and when I craved Indian food, I’d make egg curry using fresh coconuts. Cracking open the coconut and using the stove to separate the inside from the shell was always fun. Near where we were staying in Bogotá’s Zona G, there was also a lot of international cuisine, so we often went out for sushi, Indian food, burgers and pizza, Greek food, and so, so many desserts.

Lunch with students and faculty from Rice University and PUJ Bogotá, including Dr. César Uribe and Dr. Diego Patiño

Conclusion

Reflecting on my time in Colombia, I understand how profoundly this experience has impacted me. From the busy cities of Colombia to the serene village of Kuisa, every encounter deepened my appreciation for different peoples’ ways of life. The challenges faced throughout my time here, such as missing flights, dealing with dietary restrictions, the scarcity of water in Kuisa and the water being shut off weekly in our apartment, and the intermittent internet access, were all surpassed by innumerable positives. Babysitting and playing with Kashi, Señor Adelco’s granddaughter, teaching bird calls to the kids in La Guajira, stargazing in Kuisa, seeing the football games being streamed on every TV in the apartment building across the street in Bogotá, enjoying the amazing fruits and food, and most importantly meeting all the wonderful people here made this journey truly unforgettable. The level of independence I gained and learning to embrace the situation when things didn’t go my way were just some of the many takeaways for me as I spent my summer in this beautiful country. As I move forward, I carry these lessons I’ve learned and the memories I’ve made, grateful for the chance to immerse myself in Colombia’s vibrant and diverse culture.

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Hiking Without a Trail in Colombia

July 31st, 2024 by Meghan Paral

Siddhant and I arrived in Colombia on the 21st of May with a struggling knowledge of Spanish, clothes for every season, and an acceptable amount of trepidation for the coming summer. It was our first time setting foot on the South American continent, and I was insufficiently prepared to be unprepared for all that I didn’t know.

Our community partner, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, has been wonderful and gracious, offering us the opportunity to self-direct our project with the school Nuestra Señora del Carmen Zona de Kuisa in La Guajira. We were granted an amount of agency over everything from the schedules of our working hours to our travels that I had never experienced before. At first, the idea of such independence, as someone who greatly appreciates structure, was nerve-wracking; however, the more we tested the waters of spontaneity and self-sufficiency, the easier and more enjoyable it became.

The stars in Kuisa – notice: what looks like the setting sun is actually the moon! It’s unbelievably bright without urban light pollution.

Last week, we traveled for the second time to the community of Kuisa in rural La Guajira, Colombia. This requires a flight from Bogotá to the city of Riohacha, a four-hour drive from Riohacha to Uribia, and another four-hour drive from the nearest urban center of Uribia to Kuisa. At night, the absence of light pollution means the multitude of stars are indescribable, creating a startlingly beautiful backdrop to an already awe-inspiring setting of mountains and desert vegetation. One afternoon, Siddhant suggested climbing the nearest mountain, and on that whim, we set off on a three-hour hike to climb a mountain on the horizon without a trail.

The view from atop the mountain – In Wayuunaiki, the language spoken by the Wayuu people, mountain is uchi

Sure, I was impaled by a few cacti along the way, but it was more than worth it. The walk there, stopping every so often to see a new bird or lizard, hearing about Wayuu culture from the kids who came along, and sitting atop the boulders implanted in the side of the mountain, overlooking the “trail” or lack thereof that we’d taken to get there. It was, I think, a cumulative metaphor of all that had occurred during our experience in Colombia, although I didn’t realize it at the time. We were, more or less, hiking without a trail this whole summer. There had been challenging situations and periods of discomfort, and yet, I found myself sitting at the top of the mountain more adaptable and comfortable with the discomfort – grateful, in one way or another – for every experience.

That being said, I do think that one thing in particular helped me stay grounded in the midst of lacking a certain structure that I had become accustomed to back home: birds! Colombia, you may be aware,

From upper right to bottom left: Eared Dove, Tropical Mockingbird, Scaled Dove, Great Egret, American Flamingo, Vermilion Flycatcher, Rufous Collared Sparrow, Sparkling Violetear

is host to more species of birds than any other country on Earth, at over 1,900. We barely scratched the surface of that incredible quantity, but here are some of the incredible individuals that we did manage to spot:

There’s a lot of joy to be found in seeing a species for the first time, and for that reason, a lot of people search for birds that are endemic to the country that they are visiting. That being said, I think there’s a lot of slept-on happiness to uncover when seeing a bird for the zillionth time in a new location. The house sparrow, for example, can be found in as broad a range as eastern Australia, Argentina, India,

Iceland, South Africa, and, where I associate it with most, my home. That being said, they aren’t particularly common in Colombia, so spotting a perfectly spherical little guy hopping his way across the table in a restaurant in Riohacha took me by surprise. Finding a house sparrow in Riohacha meant finding a little piece of home in Colombia, and, after spending ten weeks abroad, that was a poignant gift.

As our journey in Colombia draws to a close, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude for the experiences we’ve had and the people we’ve met. The lessons learned, both expected and unexpected, have shaped me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. From the independence and spontaneity we embraced to the natural and avian wonders we discovered, this summer has been an adventure. I leave Colombia with a lot of memories, a newfound appreciation for flexibility, and an enduring connection to a place that, for a brief but impactful time, felt like home.

Thank you to Siddhant for photos!

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The Frozen Moments in a Typhoon

July 31st, 2024 by Mira Goldstein

The week before arriving in Taiwan, I traveled to four states, ate six mini United Airlines Biscoff cookies and walked over 140,000 steps. I chase adventure and opportunities to experience new places, meet new people, and try new things. I knew my summer plans needed to be in a completely unfamiliar environment that required quick problem-solving. When I challenge my brain, I feel most alive. But as much as I love exploring, the first two weeks of any trip challenge me the most. The slow moments of orientation, not having friends yet and not understanding my new environment flash nostalgic memories of the comforts of home. It always takes two weeks to make friends, find my footing, and establish the feeling of a home away from home. This slow time evokes my fear of standing still, wasting time in a place I’ve wanted to visit for so long.

I currently live in the land of Chinese idioms, big tales boiled down to a few characters. These shared narratives, like 望梅止渴 (gazing at plums to quench thirst), give shape to Mandarin and condense a feeling into words. This idiom reflects the longing for something that seems satisfying from afar but may not fulfill the expectations when experienced. When I adjust to new surroundings, I can’t explore at a whim, and as the idiom describes, I’m stuck longing for distant expectations. This is exactly the fear of standing still.

In my last week in Taiwan, Typhoon Gaemi devastates the area with horrific flooding and wind damage. The isolation of staying inside rekindles the homesickness I felt at the beginning of my trip. With little time left, I have a strong urge to make the most of my travel experience. The weather is completely out of my control; I reluctantly accept the realities of a typhoon ravaging the beautiful country I am eager to explore.

Stuck on the third floor of my homestay, I struggle to pass the time. The typhoon amplifies the sense that each day in Taiwan feels like a countdown until my next meal. After I ate 蛋餅, a Taiwanese pancake-egg omelet that my host family graciously made me, I needed three hours of activities before I could eat lunch. I started by listening to music, crafting, watching YouTube, cleaning my room and all my other quarantine activities. After a few hours, I sat in bed and contemplated why I could not rest peacefully like I had been able to in 2020. Why was time passing so slowly?

The main difference between quarantine and typhoon sheltering comes from the lack of connection. During quarantine, my house buzzed with my whole family ready for spontaneous game nights, baking challenges and long drives. During the typhoon, my host mother, brother and I isolate in our rooms to work. When we reunite at night to eat dinner, exhaustion exacerbates their ability to switch from their mother language Taiwanese to the Mandarin I am learning. My loneliness intensifies in our misunderstandings.

On a normal day, I am only at my host family’s house to sleep. I leave the house at 5 am for my university’s karate club that I joined then go directly to the lab. I often return home at 10-11 pm after eating dinner and adventuring with local friends. The added barrier of my host mother’s damaged hearing and preference to speak Taiwanese keeps us at a distance. Although I rarely see them, we maintain our connection through small gift-giving. I leave paper flowers around the house, and when I return home from lab, there are small treats and plastic jewels dispersed across my room like a treasure hunt. 

My host family and I at Kenting National Park.

Instead of paper flowers, to overcome a similar challenge of connecting with my lab mates, I surprise them with Trader Joe’s snacks and help them complete lab tasks through the night. Working at a lab is a completely immersive Chinese experience, and being in an environmental engineering lab requires even more nuanced and technical language. I spend hours after lab translating terms like “activated carbon,” “massspectroscopy,” “isotope” and other scientific words whose English meanings I don’t even fully understand. As much as I try to keep up, I am always a step behind.

In addition to lab work, my lab partners and I eat most meals out together: breakfast after karate club, lunch after group meeting and dinner when we end our last experiments. Just like how my friends in the US and I eat lunch, we have very quick back-and-forth conversations that rapidly switch topics. I always struggle to follow their conversations and often feel isolated. To maintain our friendship, my lab mates and I creatively search for other ways to spend time together outside of the quick lunch talks and technical lab discussions, such as exploring Taiwan together. They are very excited to take me to their favorite restaurants, night markets and local shops.

Midnight ice cream with my friends at lab.

Our adventures halt during the typhoon as the whole city shuts down, and it is too windy to ride my bike to visit anyone. My support systems for overcoming isolation crumble against the strength of the typhoon. As I lay hopelessly bored, I realize my problem with sheltering inside is that I can’t maintain connection in the same way. I struggle inside because I have been lucky enough to find my footing in Taiwan. The more at home I feel with Taiwanese culture and around the love of my new friends, the harder it becomes for me to say goodbye. The typhoon in the last week of my summer abroad prepares me for how to maintain a connection from afar. How can I stay connected to the friends I have made when they are thousands of miles away? I can’t rely on FaceTime as I do with my friends in the US because I built my relationships here on shared adventures and our language barrier makes communication more challenging.

During the typhoon, I send friends short videos showing them random funny things I am doing, and they respond with their own videos. I hope we can continue to connect across the world despite the oceans and languages attempting to separate us.

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A Gringo’s Thoughts on Brazil

July 31st, 2024 by Beck Edwards

Yeah, interning in São Paulo for the past 10 weeks at Mackenzie Presbyterian University has helped me make progress towards my career. But I completely underestimated how much this experience would cause me to reflect on myself, grow, and develop new habits and ways of thinking — I guess you can’t really know how a big mysterious change will affect you until after the fact. While I can’t exaggerate how wonderful of an academic opportunity this has been, through my internship with Mackenzie, as well as the neuroscience lab I worked in there, I’m want to write instead about my thoughts related to Brazilian culture and lifestyle from the perspective of a “gringo” (the lighthearted nickname Brazilians give foreigners). So, here are a couple of the most important lessons I have learned through the crazy adventure of adapting to a new country for the first time in my life.

1. American Icons Abroad

When I first arrived here, one of the first thoughts that hit me was: Wow, why is fresh, unprocessed food so cheap here? Stranger yet, all the large American restaurant chains were often more expensive than freshly cooked, healthier, and fuller options at “padarias” and snack bars. One time, I ordered a big mac burger from a McDonald’s, assuming I would get my food instantly. However, I was mind-boggled when 5 minutes of waiting became 10, which became 20. “American Fast Food,” in other words, is ironically often one of the slower options in Brazil.

Tasty salgados at a padaria

So why in the heck is anyone buying this stuff? Well the answer’s in the name: In the US, people buy American Fast Food because it’s fast — in Brazil, they buy it because it’s American. And it’s not just American food brands like McDonald’s, Popeyes, Burger King, and KFC — this trend is no less subtle in American (and European) clothing brands like GAP and Zara, technology brands like Apple, and film studios like Disney. It goes farther than just companies, too. I learned from an architecture professor at Mackenzie University that much of the architecture in Brazil is heavily influenced from Europe to make it more chic: I have seen numerous mansions designed with gabled roofs, which is completely pointless since it never snows here.

More shocking is how many young people speak English in São Paulo. True, it’s not like living in the United States — you can’t get around without knowing at least some Portuguese (since almost nobody my parent’s age or older speaks a lick of English). But chances are, if I try speaking to anyone living comfortably in their teens or twenties, they will try to respond to me in English. Learning English is a skill seen by all as attractive, and to some people, expected. It is common here for parents to send their children to schools where some or all classes are taught in English, and if you take a look at the many flyers taped to street lamps around São Paulo, it isn’t hard to find an advertisement for English lessons. 

I have spent tons of my time here trying hard to learn Portuguese from scratch — and I am so grateful for the never-ending compliments and encouragement I receive when talking to Brazilians in their language (very rudimentarily, by the way). Learning a new language from scratch is hard, but luckily Mackenzie offered me and Dara, my travel partner, biweekly language lessons, plus I always had an endless supply of Brazilian students to practice with during the internship. But it makes me sad when I compare my language learning experience with theirs. Most of the English-speaking Brazilians I have met are so much more fluent in English than I am in Portuguese (even now, after almost 3 months living here) and impressively, a large number of them have never even stepped foot in an English speaking country. So many Brazilians who speak to me in English become embarrassed and apologize for their grammar or pronunciation, even though I can almost always understand them perfectly. Whenever I speak Portuguese to Brazilians, though, they are simply excited to hear me speak their language at all, whether I can communicate myself or not. 

Unfortunately, these double standards between speaking English and Portuguese are only growing farther apart. One of the primary ways the presence of English in Brazil spreads is through media, especially entertainment content consumed by children. Whenever I asked especially fluent English speakers here how they learned the language, most of them referenced Disney movies, American TV shows, music, or communication through video games. And whenever someone tells me they’ve been to the United States before, I am right about 70% of the time when I guess they’ve seen Disney World. Heck, I’m willing to bet that most of the friends I have met here have seen more animated American movies than I have!

What I have come to notice is how much of an impact virtual global connectivity has had on spreading American culture. For one, the generational difference in knowledge of English language and culture is astounding. For instance, I met a friend here in São Paulo who is completely fluent in English, and her 13-year-old younger brother is fluent too. He told me he learned English primarily through American Hip Hop music and Minecraft YouTube videos. Just earlier today, I visited their house with Dara to pick up a couple things we left there, and we had a conversation (in English) with the two siblings in front of their mom. While we talked, their mother kept staring at her son then back at us, and finally, after about 10 minutes she exclaimed: “Entendem o que ele tá dizendo?!” (“You can understand what he’s saying?!”). She was so surprised because she had no idea her son was able to communicate seamlessly with native English speakers like me and Dara — we were the first two Americans he had ever spoken to face-to-face, in fact. After all, our friend and her brother were the only people in the entire family who knew any English, so how could she know his fluency?

It’s not just our friend’s family — we have met dozens of other Brazilians around our age who learned English independently from their families, through a desire to consume American media. Consumption of media is both problematic and vindicating for Brazillians. For instance, Mackenzie University took us to a Guaraní indigenous people reserve in a forest located in a neighborhood in the northwest region of São Paulo called Jaraguá. There, a Guaraní representative expressed to us their concerns due to a growing rebellion against the Guaraní way by the youngest generation, who had found access to the internet. Walking around the area, it was clear many of the kids were disconnected from the world their parents were in, some wearing branded clothing and others listening to music with headphones. Many of these children, we learned, felt ennui at learning the Guaraní language, too, further threatening such a deep-rooted culture. 

On the other side of things, big entertainment media has given Brazilians the means to, as they put it, “reverse-colonize” Portugal. See, Brazilian Portuguese and culture is incredibly different from the Portuguese spoken in Portugal due to the large influence of various diasporas, indigenous populations, and immigration. In fact, the Portuguese in either country may as well be classified as an entirely different language! Before social media became so popular, Brazilian culture was not able to spread back to Portugal very easily due to the distance and a lack of Brazilian immigrants. In the past 5 years, though, immigration from Brazil to Portugal has sharply increased and Brazilians are already the most populous foreign group there. Through the means of social media and immigration, many Brazilians tease, Portugal is slowly transforming into a land where Brazilian slang, memes, and popular culture are felt throughout. 

But at the same time that the Guaraní and Portugal culture is being influenced by popular Brazilian culture, Brazilian culture is becoming influenced more by English-speaking entertainment media. I always knew that this was happening in foreign countries, but it’s a different story to see American influence firsthand. It’s weird to go to a bar and hear Katy Perry or Coldplay on the speakers and see all the most expensive drinks listed in English to make them sound fancier, all the while surrounded by people speaking Portuguese, with a shareable bucket of salty Brazilian pastels on their table. After all, the food is fresher here, the music is addictive, and I would even say the language is more interesting than English — there are certain words that are untranslatable to English like “saudade” which describes the feeling of missing someone dearly or “cafuné” which means affectionately running one’s fingers through another’s hair. I guess what I’m trying to say is, the Brazilian style is wonderful, and it seems crazy to me for a place with such great traditions and an awesome way of life to idolize the US when it comes to mainstream culture. 

Pastel and Caldo de Cana (sugar cane juice) at a Traditional Feira

 

2. How to Live

If you have ever visited Brazil, you’ll likely agree with me when I say that it feels like Brazilians have a certain zest for life. Most of my friends here, as well as random people I meet at events, bars, and stores are really good social navigators, in touch with their emotions, and seem to live life fuller than most Americans I know. The whole concept of anxiety here is either deflated or it’s expressed in different ways which cause people to be less closed-off from each other than in the US. There’s a bigger emphasis on separation of life and work, and my friend once told me Brazilians are used to “trabalhando bastante a boca” (loosely translated: “working a lot by mouth”) meaning they talk a lot at work.

One time I went to a bar with my friend who studies law and she introduced me to some friends she made the week prior who were video game developers (sidenote: a law degree here is awarded as an undergraduate degree, and you can start practicing law just 5 years after graduating high school. The same goes for medicine which takes 6 years!). It was kind of a funny experience because it seemed like the entire game studio was there: there were voice actors, script writers, graphic designers, coders, and bug testers. At this point, I had only been in Brazil for around 3 weeks, and my Portuguese was terrible. But the crazy thing is, even though I was surrounded by all these people I had just met who were speaking a different language with each other, I didn’t feel out of place. My friend and the game studio people were excited to talk to me, and they even invited me to a party at their house just 30 minutes after I introduced myself!

People are so eager to reach out and mix in São Paulo, both emotionally and physically. From the way you greet people (women with a hug and a kiss on the cheek and men with a handshake and semi-embrace), to the way many Brazilians will share their gossip with you less than an hour after meeting them, to the normality of public french kissing — at first it kind of felt to me like the skin on everyone’s skin was replaced by plexiglass, their whole beings open on display. But it is hard not to appreciate how open and expressive people are, and how much less present the embarrassment is to express some part of your true self always. Why have I not been faster to open myself up to people when I first meet them, and so averse to expressing myself more, I wonder? It feels so much better to treat everyone like your friend until they’re not than the other way around.

Eating a Mortadela Sandwich

Brazil knows how to throw parties. First they’ve got “festa juninas,” country-themed, family-oriented parties thrown by elementary/high schools with loaded hot dogs and pastel (fried dough with filling) where students perform their rehearsed dances for everyone. There are also samba street parties where performers play musical instruments like the Cavaquinho and Pandeiro to a fast 3-step beat and people drink as they “sambar” (the verb form of samba which means to dance samba style). Then there are the clubs and college parties. Since the drinking age is only 18 here, college students don’t have to resort to drinking behind closed doors, and parties often have open bars. It’s popular to mix energy drinks with shots, and the Brazilian funk music doesn’t usually stop until 5am or around sunrise.

Going to these parties and social events has been a great way to meet new people here — especially since most people are excited to meet gringos. Every day, I feel more as if the most important part of this experience is the people I’ve met along the way. It helps that I’m in a faraway place where nobody knows who I am, but I have a feeling being here has made me more comfortable approaching people, too. 

Just a side note — it has been super difficult to learn Portuguese from the beginning in such a short stay, but it has been super worth it. This isn’t only because learning a new language makes your brain healthier or gives you a reason to feel smart, it’s because you can’t really know someone until you speak their first language with them. There’s so much personality that’s locked behind the door of the extra cognition and unfamiliarity it takes for someone to speak in a language they don’t often use to crack jokes or talk to friends. Plus, Portuguese contains so many expressions and “palavrãos” (curse words) that don’t make sense in English that you’re just missing out on a higher level of communication if you only speak to Brazilians in English. This isn’t to say that I’m completely fluent, or even nearly fluent in Portuguese (that would be ridiculously impressive). But it makes me so happy when I’m in on the jokes my Brazilian friends create, can learn about the life of a random man sitting next to me on the bus, or have a laugh with a peppy teenager trying to sell me fake Gucci in an outdoor “feira.” 

3. Understanding My Place in Brazil

Remember how I said earlier that I bought a Big Mac? Guess how much it cost. If you guessed R$26,90 or $4.76 USD, you would be correct. But wait — earlier I mentioned that American food is a more expensive option in Brazil, but a Big Mac in Chicago, my hometown, is $5.35 USD, a whole 59 cents more expensive! So, it would seem, McDonald’s in Brazil is actually cheaper than in the United States.

The answer is actually much more complicated. For an American traveling to Brazil, exchanging United States dollars for Brazilian reais, sure, the American pays slightly less for the burger. But this is only due to the fact that the exchange rate between USD and Reais heavily favors the dollar. Exchange rates between two countries are under the influence of various market, economic, and political forces, which makes it almost impossible for travelers to understand the true value of a foreign country’s currency in the context of its workers salaries and cost of living. To get a better view of how hard people have to work to buy things in other countries, try looking for estimates of the purchasing power parity between the two nations. For instance, the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Brazilian real is around 5.65 reais per US dollar at the time I’m writing this. The purchasing power parity, though, estimates that in Brazil, one can buy around the same amount of goods for 2.44 reais as United States citizens can buy domestically for 1 dollar. This means that us Americans paying for things with USD underestimate how costly everything in Brazil feels for the people who live there by over two times! In conclusion: yes, a McDonald’s Big Mac is effectively more expensive for the people living here in Brazil than for Americans living in the United States (and smaller too, by the way).

Price of a Big Mac in Reais

Why am I telling you this? Because it’s easy to find yourself in an embarrassing situation if you don’t know how expensive things are perceived domestically in another country. This happened to me a lot at first, before I learned from Brazilians about their typical salaries. For instance, one time I was looking for a shirt to buy as a souvenir, and stumbled upon this nice navy blue and yellow shirt that read BRAZIL across the front. When I asked how much it was, the cashier told me: “140 Reais.” Now this was a really nice shirt, and the quality was great, so I was thrilled. After all, that’s just under $25 USD, which would be a great deal back in the states. “Wow, that’s a good deal!” I said to the Brazilians I was with, who looked back at me confusedly and with their mouths open. “No, really, that’s not cheap, but it’s probably the best deal you’re gonna get,” one of them responded amusedly. I still bought it, but I made sure to keep my thoughts to myself when it came to prices after that day. 

I said I wouldn’t talk about academics here, but I can’t help it with how impactful the work we’ve done with Mackenzie University has been on my personal growth as well as my understanding of how the pieces of this country fit together. Over many weeks, Mackenzie professors and students facilitated in-depth discussions with Dara and I about the reality of environmental sustainability and water management in Brazil. We were taken to places all around São Paulo to see firsthand both the problems and successes we learned about in the classroom. By the end, we had created a business idea related to sustainability in the context of Brazil using what we had learned.

The reason I’m bringing this up here is because it helped me solidify my self-image in Brazil. Before coming, I had lots of concerns about the ethical implications of me visiting the country on a stipend: Will me being there cause more harm than good? Is it messed up for me to live on US dollars? Should I go into this experience with the intention to fix something or just to immerse and inform myself? 

The more I allowed myself to lean on Mackenzie’s resources, learn, and observe, the more I realized how crazy the notion really is that a twenty year old gringo who has never stepped foot in Brazil may travel here and magically make some wide-reaching change that does any more good than harm all by themselves. It became perfectly clear to me just how necessary it would be to immerse myself into life here as well as learn as much as possible about the country’s domestic affairs, politics, bureaucracy, economy, cultural values, subcultures, history, and everything in between, in order to even start to speculate any change would affect all these different groups of people here. And as I’m not here to sightsee and be a tourist, I’m here to learn and immerse myself with all the time I have. 

I did say that I came up with a business idea related to sustainability in São Paulo, and it might sound like this project directly contradicts what I just said. But there’s one huge difference and silver lining to the existentialist feeling that you may not be able to make a change that works in the context of a different country: help from the people who live here. I see it this way: I’m not able to intuitively understand how a change will impact people in Brazil. But, I grew up in such a different environment from the people here who can intuitively understand (or have the requisite knowledge to make a good guess), that I’m good at generating ideas that may not cross many resident’s minds. Unsurprisingly, I usually realize these ideas suck after I run them by Brazilians, but sometimes bits and pieces of them spark new ideas which then sparks productive conversation. 

And I think that’s why I’m here: To facilitate conversations between people with such different lives who otherwise never would have met. To realize how useful it is to joke around with, party, relate to, love, or solve problems with people who live such different lives — to explore new foods, clothing, or memes with new people and see yourself in their shoes. People are only ever going to become more connected over the internet as time moves forward, and it’s worth it to get used to listening and learning from all different types of people. I mean — you should see how many Brazilians follow my LinkedIn and Instagram now! (heh). I bet in 20 years, I’ll still remember the man next to me on a 90 minute bus ride who taught me outdated slang and introduced me to his son on the phone. I’ll remember the family of four I met waiting in a line to leave Pão de Açúcar and their 10-year-old kid who told me about how he had played all the Super Mario games. I’ll remember the Austrian ex-bodyguard who served Belgian politicians and formula one drivers. And of course I’ll remember my travel partners — Dara, Erica, and Shay — and all my awesome Brazilian friends I met through Mackenzie and our friend (and Loewenstern Fellow) Juliana who lives in Brazil. It’s been quite an adventure, and I’d do it again a million times.

Me, Dara, and Brazilian Friends from Mackenzie 🙂

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Lessons on Forgiveness, Feminine Strength, and Compassion from El Banco de Alimentos de Bolivia

July 25th, 2024 by Neha Kohli

       Thanks to the Loewenstern Fellowship, I have had the wonderful privilege of working at El Banco de Alimentos in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Through this experience, I have gotten to know the most passionate and driven individuals who have profoundly impacted my life for the better. I have had countless meaningful experiences that have taught me so much. I have therefore decided to use my blog to share some of the lessons that I have learned here in Bolivia from some of the people who have made my time here so special and unforgettable.

Lessons on Forgiveness with Yu:

        Yu was one of the first people Jackson (my travel partner) and I met at El Banco de Alimentos de Bolivia. We first entered the food bank about two months ago, yet it feels like our first day happened just yesterday…
I am not a big planner, I rarely think too far into the future. Instead, I often prefer to focus on the now. However, this meant that I did not allow myself a moment this past semester to truly think through what it would mean to live and work in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Therefore, entering the large metal gates of the food bank on the first day, all of my nerves culminated as the following questions swirled around my head:

What if everyone hates me?
What if I don’t understand Spanish well enough?
What if I mess everything up?
What if I break something?
What if I accidentally offend someone?
What if I’m not strong enough to do the work they want me to do?

I hoped that Jheysson (the food bank’s founder) could not read my thoughts.

        My worries slightly calmed when a familiar face came to greet us. Jorge, a past Loewenstern Fellow and friend of mine from Rice entered the room and gave Jackson and I each a warm hug. Afterwards, we were introduced to some new faces. This is when we first met Yu (our manager at the Food Bank). Yu reached out his hand towards me, but as I shook it, he leaned in to kiss me on the cheek (the normal way to greet women in Bolivia). Already very nervous, this caught me by surprise. I jumped back, as in the US, physical touch when greeting someone is far from the norm. Yu and Jorge explained to me that this was how people greeted people in Bolivia. Embarrassed, I asked to try again. Only a few minutes into our fellowship, I had already made my first mistake. Thankfully, this second try went off without a hitch. This became a common theme during my time at El Banco de Alimentos; if at first you don’t succeed, then try, try again.
        Luckily for me, I would later learn that Yu is not someone to judge or hold grudges, so I am sure that this initial interaction has most likely disappeared from his mind. Over the past month, I have come to know Yu as an incredibly caring, tranquil, and forgiving boss. I have made numerous mistakes, which Yu has always approached with a gentle calmness. I have learned a valuable lesson from him: mistakes are not the end of the world, everything has a solution.
        One mistake stands out to me from the rest, as it was my most recent. I have dubbed this mistake “the water bottle incident.” The day of the water bottle incident started out like any other. Carolina (a beneficiaries manager at the food bank) asked me to load 75 packets of water bottles for a community. Yu pointed me towards a pallet of water bottles, and I began to load them on. An important thing to note here is that the food bank is incredibly organized, and Yu is in charge of maintaining this organization. Since food usually arrives at the food bank very close to its expiry date, this organization is imperative in ensuring that as soon as food comes in, it goes out. This is how the food bank is able to best maximize their widespread impact.
        Prior to stacking the 75 requested bottles, I ran out of units on the pallet that Yu had pointed me towards. I wandered over to his desk, and looked over at him. Nervous to interrupt his work, I turned around to see a pallet of water bottles with the same expiry dates as the ones I had previously loaded. I made the error of deciding not to check with Yu (who knows everything about the warehouse and would have been able to point me to the correct pallet), and began to load more bottles from this pallet and deliver them to the door.
        About 30 minutes later, when I had already loaded quite a few bottles from this erroneous pallet, Yu looked over and stopped me. He let me know that the bottles I was loading had not been entered into the system yet, so they could not go out to beneficiaries. I immediately stopped in my tracks. From the deer in headlights look on my face, Yu could tell that I was more than a packet or two of bottles into my mistake. “Cuántos paquetes tomaste de allá?” (How many packets did you take from there) Yu asked me.
        “Umm 20” I guessed “no 12” I revised. The truth was, I had absolutely no idea. Yu could tell that I was just throwing out random numbers.
        “Estas seguro?” (Are you sure) He asked me.
        “No, Lo siento, I’m sorry” I admitted.
      “Ok, necesitamos revisar y contar todos las botellas” (We need to check and count all the bottles) Yu said, quickly finding a way to remedy my mistake.
        I spent the rest of the morning alternating between repeating “Lo Siento” and “Sorry”, hoping that if I tried both languages my apology would communicate how remorseful I truly was for my mistake. I also began to try and fix it, loading bottles onto a cart from the correct pallet to bring down to the loading door. As I dragged the new bottles down the ramp, the cart became too heavy for me and I was distracted, still preoccupied by my worries regarding the misplaced bottles, so I crashed loudly into the wall, spilling the bottles all over the floor right in front of Yu’s desk (my second mistake within a 5 minute time span).
        Needless to say, I was mortified and holding back tears at this point. Hearing the loud bang, Yu looked up from his computer. I expected him to be angry, so I looked over to gauge his reaction. He was laughing. He didn’t get angry, he didn’t yell at me, he didn’t even seem upset. In fact after he was done laughing, he even came over to help me restack the bottles. “No te preocupes, esta bien Neha, tranqui, podemos arreglar” (don’t worry, it’s ok, relax, we can fix it) he said to me.
        Our past experiences will always taint our future expectations. Yu’s reaction caught me off guard, as I was not used to seeing this level of calm in the face of a mistake. My past experiences working in the US have conditioned me to so often expect the worst when I make a mistake. I therefore find it hard to grant myself forgiveness for mistakes, no matter how big or small. I have never before been in an environment like the food bank, where mistakes are not only forgiven but are forgiven with such warmth and compassion.
        After that day of work at the food bank, Yu took Jackson and I to see a movie, try Bolivian street food, and watch traditional dances. As we walked around the city and talked, I began to realize that Yu was not angry at me about the water bottles, he had moved on, and I should too. At the end of our movie night with Yu, for the first time since our initial meeting, I leaned in and kissed goodbye on the cheek, finally properly embracing a salutation that perfectly displays Bolivia’s culture of love, care, and understanding.
        Yu’s reaction to my mistake was kind and gentle. His character is so very different from anyone I have ever met before. He has shown me that we can always choose to be empathetic, even amidst work and stress. I hope to one day embody Yu’s level of calmness and apply forgiveness the same way he does, both towards others and towards myself. Yu taught me an important lesson that I will be taking back with me to Rice: mistakes are not the end of the world, we can always find solutions.
        Unlearning a lifelong and deeply ingrained fear of mistakes is no easy task, but I thank Yu for being patient with me, and for opening my eyes everyday to the possibility of a workplace without fear. I am slowly learning not to consistently expect the worst reactions to my mistakes. I realize now that I deserve the same grace that I would extend to another person. So, I forgive myself for misplacing (and spilling) the water bottles, and I forgive myself also for the countless future mistakes I will inevitably make in the next month at the food bank. Now, when I make a mistake, I can exhale knowing that I will always have help fixing it. Yu’s words continue to ring in my head as a reminder, “Todo tiene un solución, tranquí” (everything has a solution, relax).



Lessons on Feminine Strength with Laura:

        Throughout my life feminism has always been an important theme. As a student involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion work, I have always believed that everyone deserves equal respect. However, in our current society, it is clear that in many circumstances the same respect that is given freely to a man must be hard earned by women. Laura is one of the hardest-working people I think I have ever encountered, and she is so respected here at the food bank. Clearly, she has worked so hard to earn this respect. Working under Laura at the food bank has changed my conception of feminine strength for the better.
           I realize now that prior to working at the food bank, my conception of feminine strength was deeply flawed. To understand where my conception went wrong, I reflect on a past experience with gender-based violence that I had when I was 17 years old. After this incident, it was hard for me to ever feel truly physically strong again. For a long time, I viewed this incident as a moment of profound weakness which greatly altered my self-perception pertaining to physical strength. I realize now that I let one moment completely taint how I viewed feminine strength as a whole. Instead of embracing women’s capability for physical strength, I focused exclusively on intellectual strength after this incident. Within myself, I focused solely on strengthening my intellect as opposed to my body. After what happened, I had given up on the idea of ever truly feeling physically stronger than a man.
        Witnessing Laura work at the food bank has been so transformative, both for my personal self-perception and for my perception of feminine strength as a whole. I have never met anyone who works as hard as Laura does at the food bank. When there is work to be done, Laura is there. It does not matter whether it is a holiday or a Sunday, when there is work to be done, I know that Laura will be there. Additionally, she is always unafraid to take on the most arduous tasks. I have seen Laura wake up at 5am to deliver food to vulnerable populations in Bolivia. I have also seen her fill an entire truck up with wood chips for compost with a shovel and then empty that same truck. I have seen her lift 6 cases of cookies at a time whilst most people tire after lifting 4. The work she does inspires me. She is an integral part of the food bank’s functioning, not only for her physical strength, but also for her incredible organizational skills and intelligence as well. Laura seamlessly manages relations with beneficiaries and is always on time. Additionally, my conversations with Laura have been such a delightful part of this experience, as she never fails to bring in a novel perspective.
        Laura has shown me a new way to embrace feminine strength. I see now how close-minded and factually incorrect my prior conception of feminine strength was. I was afraid that I would never be able to guarantee myself physical strength, so I focused on intellectuality instead. I wanted a level of control over my future. Yet, the truth is, that we can’t ever control the situations in our future, but this does not mean that we should not strive to be the best possible versions of ourselves. My prior conception of feminine strength so clearly denied the exceptionality of so many women, women like Laura, who work day in and day out to embody a perfect combination of both physical and intellectual strength.
        I won’t ever be able to 100% ensure that there are no more moments of weakness in my future, but this does not mean that I need to live in fear surrounded by sentiments of weakness. Now, at the food bank, I often look to Laura for direction; where she is, I want to be, what she is doing, I want to be doing. Thanks to Laura’s guidance, I do not feel weak anymore, instead I am getting stronger and smarter every day at the food bank. I thank Laura for opening my eyes up to a world of potential; from now on, I embrace feminine strength in a comprehensive way.


Lessons on Compassion with Pame:

        My experiences with Pame have been some of the absolute highlights of my time here in Bolivia. I have learned so much from her wisdom and kindness, as well as from her unique language skills. Pame has an aura of empathy and compassion that draws people in, both beneficiaries and her co-workers. I first had the privilege of connecting with Pame on a trip to deliver cookies to vulnerable populations in more rural areas of Bolivia. This was my first time actually coming face-to-face with the food bank’s beneficiaries, and it was an incredibly impactful experience. I am so grateful to Pame and Jonah (another co-worker who drives the food bank’s trucks) for inviting me to share in these incredibly special moments.
        Delivering the cookies was a wonderful experience. Learning from Pame and watching her interact with children was such a gift. Pame’s heart is as big as the sky. I watched her maintain her patience amidst chaos, gift cookies to children without the usual logistics fee, and speak to beneficiaries in their maternal language, Quechua. The truck ride there and back was also incredibly enjoyable for me, as Pame is the most wonderful conversationalist. I learned so much from her, and she asked the most interesting questions, helping me transcend the Spanish-English language barrier. Pame was one of the first people I truly opened up to here at the food bank. I feel so comfortable around her, as when Pame speaks, you can hear in her voice how much she truly cares about everyone around her. Pame now knows more about my life in Maryland than most of my friends at Rice do.
        Importantly, Pame is one of the few people at the food bank who speaks Quechua (Cochabamba’s indigenous language) fluently. She is therefore absolutely integral to the food bank’s functioning, as her language ability is fundamental in building trust and confidence between the bank and the communities it serves. Listening to Pame speak Quechua with beneficiaries has been such a privilege. I have been able to witness firsthand the level of comfort and security Pame brings people. Language is an integral aspect of culture, a common language can break down barriers. Pame’s language skills build bridges between vulnerable populations and the food bank.
        My experiences with Pame have helped me reflect on my knowledge of my own maternal language, Hindi, which I unfortunately lost the ability to speak as a kid. When I was younger, I did not think that it was important to dedicate myself to learning Hindi, as like many children of immigrants, I wanted to be as American as possible. I see now that this was a mistake that has cost me so much potential connection with my own culture. These past few months, people in Bolivia have asked me about my culture, my Indian roots. This has helped me embrace my background. Since being here, I have started learning a few Hindi words and listening to Hindi music, attempting to retain a little more of my language and culture. Pame has shown me how language skills can truly open the door to compassion and empathy as well as connection to culture, and for that, I am so grateful to her.
        When speaking with Pame, you can tell that she truly loves the work that she is doing at the food bank. She is so knowledgeable about her community and about society as a whole. You can feel her desire to help people and her love for others. She was so kind to seamlessly extend this love to me these past few months. I hope Pame knows the impact she is making on so many people’s lives, and I hope that she knows the impact she had on mine. I now have a role model for life, and I hope to have a career just like hers’, one full of compassion and service to others. When I “grow up”, if my heart is even half the size of Pame’s, I would consider it a success.

Conclusion:

        Yu, Laura, and Pame are all very different. They each have different personalities, different values, and different styles of working at the food bank. Yet, they are all a part of a team. They all offer each other mutual respect and friendship, and their strengths compliment each others’ so well. What I love about the food bank is that there is never only one right way of doing things. The food bank is a community of passionate individuals all working towards a common goal, but not everyone works towards this goal in the same way. Everyone is in the right at the food bank, no one is shamed or punished for doing things their way. This is a team, a community, that embraces differences.
        At home, in the United States, learning to relax has always been a bit difficult for me. Sometimes, I feel as though I live in a world of pressure, a never-ending horse race. At Rice, I feel a need to prove myself; to prove that I deserve to be there, or to prove that I deserve a future after. I am so grateful that I was welcomed into the food bank’s community, as it is a world free from this mounting pressure. I have learned that whilst I should strive to be my strongest and most compassionate self, making mistakes is perfectly alright. I plan on taking this lesson back to Rice. Not everything has to be perfect all of the time. It is ok to feel emotions, to be nervous or afraid, but I know now that this fear does not have to control you. For right now, I am so grateful to exist within the world of the food bank; a world where mistakes are forgiven, strength in all forms is celebrated, and compassion is everywhere.


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Crying in an Uber

June 25th, 2024 by Joanna Anil

I found myself tearing up in the backseat of the Uber. My roommate, Juliana, and I were on our way back from my friend/coworker’s birthday at her house in Quilmes, a province outside of the capital’s center almost an hour away. As we entered the capital that night, the driver stopped one of the street vendors to purchase 2 alfajores. We continued to drive, but at the next light, he turned around with a great smile and said “Welcome to Argentina” and handed us the alfajores. We had been yapping in English for the long ride home, and he made it a point to try to welcome us with whatever little English he knew. 

This made me stop and think. How blessed am I to be in a country where people embrace foreigners and show enthusiasm for people visiting their country. And not only that, but many people will try to speak in English to me. I used to get disheartened whenever I would order in Spanish at a restaurant only for the waiter to respond in English jaja. However, now I just realize how so many people just want you to feel welcomed by speaking to you in your native language. This made me sad because when I think of my home in Texas, I can only remember countless times where I’ve heard people get frustrated with foreigners or immigrants for mispronouncing an English word. I’ve experienced this myself several times growing up and so it has been quite refreshing to experience a culture that embraces different cultures. Yet, here, even though my Spanish is not nearly as advanced as many people’s Spanish, people are continually supportive of my efforts. I hope to be like Cristian, my uber driver, and take the time out of my day to welcome people. 

Music x Uno Picante

Bringing a midi keyboard to Argentina was the best thing I packed. I had actually never used it before but decided I could not go 2 months without playing an instrument. With that in mind, I added it to the pile of things staring me down from my bedroom corner hoping I would make the 50lb. limit.

However, now, I can say I have no regrets. Our Airbnb host spotted my keyboard and asked me about it, only for him to tell me that he actually produces his own music. We were able to exchange our music which was so special. Check him out here @Zoca!

I have had so many songwriting inspirations while being here, and I am excited to finish creating these songs upon my return. I just love how music creates so many avenues for you to connect with people and express yourself.  

We have made friends in the wildest of places. I’ve met people from all around the world (France, Italy, England, Venezuela, and of course Argentina jaja). One night we had a group of friends over, and we whipped out the midi keyboard. Our intended “game night” turned into a magical musical night uniting the most diverse room of people from all around the world. It was such a spontaneous night of music and honestly one of the most special nights of my life that just makes life feel worth living. Check out a clip here! 

First time singing “candle” live w the sweetest friends <3

Now let me tell you about my favorite game – Uno Picante. 

I’ve placed spicy uno before, but this beats any game I’ve ever played. With each color, you have to speak a different language (Spanish, English, Portuguese, or Italian). Granted, many of us did not know Portuguese or Italian, so at that point it was just an aggressive game of charades spitting out a few passionate words here and there from our limited vocabulary. And with each wild card played, the room turned into a group of monkeys communicating with each other. A game I will truly never forget. 

Cooking Went Wrong

After our first week of solely eating out, we decided it was time to cook some food for ourselves. I am an avocado egg toast fanatic, so we decided to make some. Little did I know one of my biggest fears for my time here would come to life. I’m still not sure exactly what caused it, if it was the butter or possibly some nuts in the whole grain bread, but I experienced my worst allergic reaction to date. It was crazy because I had been incredibly careful about eating anything with nuts during my time here as I was trying to avoid the many painful nights I had at Rice in the past year. I could not keep anything down for the entire day and threw up over 15 times. I can assure you I was feeling homesick in that moment, but once I was on the other side after a few days of recovery, I felt unstoppable jaja. That definitely made for quite the memorable first week in Argentina however. 

Shrek 2 at Church??

This was the first time I had encountered feelings of homesickness in my life. Granted, at Rice, I only live 4.5 hours away from my home, so this was a new feeling for me. I think I experienced a lot of homesickness because I was missing a lot of pivotal events back home. However, a place where I found a lot of familiarity in Buenos Aires was at a local church. It was so comforting to hear the same songs that I had heard all my life at church being sung in Spanish. It was beautiful, and it was a great way for me to learn new vocabulary because I knew the English lyrics.

I found an incredible community at this church. They actually did a lock in night for youngadults one night, and we ended up watching Shrek 2, which is an iconic movie in Spanish. There are so many cultural references within the Spanish version, and it was fun to be able to watch what was a childhood staple for many. This community has blessed me in so many incredible ways and I am so grateful.

Community Partner

A week before I arrived in Buenos Aires, I found out my supervisor actually resigned and the major fundraising event that I was coming so early to Buenos Aires for had actually been canceled. This left me curious as to what my experience would be like with my community partner. However, I have created an incredible bond with my coworker as we both navigate the unusualness of the changes at work. I found myself taking on independent projects within the organization and dedicating hours to making it perfect. I found myself speaking to multiple directors to get feedback on my work. Though navigating who to ask for feedback has been difficult, I have really enjoyed working with my community partner because entrepreneurship means so much to me. My community partner continually inspires me with their incredible initiatives. I was thinking back to how one of my college supplementals was about expanding entrepreneurship opportunities internationally and it has been a full circle moment to be a part of an organization who does this.  I am very grateful to be a part of such an incredible mission. 

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Narcissistic Spanish

Every time I hear someone talk in the first person, I think I’m being summoned. It’s because “yo” in Argentina is pronounced as “Jo.” This has led me to have some unintentional moments of narcissism jaja. The dialect here is a very unique form of Spanish, but I find it beautiful. If you’re not listening too closely, it can almost sounds a bit Italian. My Spanish skills have definitely been put to the test here, but I have seen how many listening skills have improved over the course of the last two months.

Namaste 

One particular interaction that made me laugh was when I was visiting La Boca and as I would walk through, different vendors would say “Namaste” to me as they tried to sell me an item. I never found this offensive but rather just very comical. It has been interesting being the only Indian person around and thinking that I may be the first Indian person many people have encountered. However, it’s also been interesting because I often feel like less of an outsider here in comparison to many American environments where I was a minority. 

Aprender a Correr x Public Transportation 

I couldn’t ask to live in a more ideal location. We live right next to a local park and we have a gym on the same block! Juliana and I have recently entered our running era during our time here. On a random whim, Juju found a Rotary club that was having a 3km race, so naturally we had to sign up. It was quite the adventure getting to this province, Banfield, which was over an hour away from us. We woke up at 5:30am so we could take the bus there. Even though it was a holiday for El Dia de la Bandera (Flag day), the bus was jam packed at 7am and we shoved ourselves into the corner next to the fire extinguisher and held on tight for an hour jajaja.  However, it was such a beautiful drive as the sun rose and we entered into Banfield.

I have definitely never been much of a runner and although 3 kilometers is not very long, I was really proud to have been able to run the entire thing and see how I’ve progressed over our time here. It was an incredible experience with seeing everyone gather and dance together as the warmup. It was a very uniting experience and one of my favorite things we’ve done here. One of Juju’s coworkers lives in Banfield, so it was really fun exploring the city with her afterwards.

We took the train on the way back, and I have just absolutely fallen in love with the Buenos Aires public transportation. I remember I was initially really nervous to travel to work by myself. However, even though I got on the wrong bus on my first day jaja, the driver was very kind in redirecting me. I have fallen in love with riding the bus and have found so much freedom that comes in living in a walkable city with accessible transportation. I wish I could take this incredible transportation back home.

I cannot believe that our time is so limited here and I will forever cherish all of these memories. As someone who was very worried about traveling to a new country myself and now being at the last week of my journey, I can safely say I have fallen in love with Buenos Aires.

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8 Tips To Find Community In Your New Country

June 25th, 2024 by Juliana Muller

Hello! 

My name is Juliana and I am a rising junior at Sid Richardson College studying Cognitive Sciences and Sociology. But to be honest, none of these matter here. Loewenstern is an experience to reinvent yourself and truly to be part of new communities miles and miles away from home. I understand finding belonging in such a different environment can be very hard and lonely – perhaps your community partner won’t walk you by the hand and you will be on your own to build meaningful connections. But don’t worry, there is a beautiful world out there of people who can’t wait to meet you, and I hope to share with you a few tips on how to reach them!

There is so much more you can do than visit tourist places and eat Choripan (or any other local foods that apply to your location). This is a very special experience to be locked in your room, going only from your apartment to work. But also, how do you even begin to make friends in a completely different country?

Disclaimers:

  1. About the city: Buenos Aires might be an exceptional location. It is a global city with great transportation systems and attractions, which makes it very easy to meet people and attend events. There are many foreigners, and institutions are ready to receive people who do not speak the language (including live translation at some places!). I also feel extremely safe here as a female traveler. These conditions might not apply as easily to other Loewenstern locations, but it’s still worth the read!
  2. About my situation: I have lots of experience living abroad on my own and I come from a similar cultural background to the country I am in, which has been for sure an advantage. I am an international student from Brazil, a country which shares a similar history and culture with Argentina, which makes it somewhat easier for me to adapt. I can also speak Spanish fine, which has been very helpful. Lastly, I HAD THE MOST AMAZING Loewenstern buddy, Joanna Anil, who was an amazing company and was always up for exploring and hosting with me.

1. Engage with the people in your neighborhood!

Don’t be afraid to use all the vocabulary you know to create connections with local shop owners and the staff in the places you go to often. Ask for their names and learn a thing or two about them. This has really made me feel like I am part of the neighborhood I live in. For example, there is a fruits and vegetables shop that I always cross on my way to work, and I absolutely love how every week the owner would arrange the onions and oranges in a way that would make up a name. I found it so thoughtful and sweet, that one day I stopped by to get some pomegranates and ask him about his design choices. It was such a lovely interaction, that I felt brave enough to ask him: can you write my name someday? Did I utterly need to see my name in that stand? Not really. But it sounded like a fun way to appreciate his work. He wrote it down in his notebook (apparently there is a line of names) and three weeks later, there it was! Thank you Vicha, this really made my summer!

With Vicha in his shop on the day my name debuted on the stand! So happy! (Covered his face for privacy)

2. Look up events online!!!

Look up Event Brite and local social media pages to find experiences that fit your interests: yoga at the park? Soccer matches? A youth conference? Local festive traditions? A party? A language exchange event? 

One of the best things I have done here was attending a Mundolingo event. These are weekly gatherings for people to practice different languages: a great chance for you to practice your host country’s language and of course, meet new people. They give you a little flag of your country/the languages you speak, and then it’s all about approaching people and starting a conversation. While you will meet many locals eager to practice English, you will also meet exchange students, expats and tourists. 

Joanna and I went together on a Wednesday, and we met such incredible people who were just as excited to show us the city or explore it with us. There we made a good friend, Chris, who had just graduated from UMichigan, was an extremely talented musician and spoke flawless Spanish. Joanna and him even got the chance to make some music together!

Making Argentinian empanadas for Chris’ farewell after knowing him for three weeks. Thank you Mundolingo! (the girl on the left is my friend from home (Brazil), Victoria, who came to visit me here! Love her a lot) Ps: When I was writing this post, I decided to not be a hypocrite and look up events to attend on EventBrite. That same week, Joanna and I signed up for a race in nearby town! More on that later…

3. Connect with Rice international students who are from your host country.

Rice has such an international community, and I can guarantee you we have at least one student from the country you are visiting. So make sure you connect with them, they might even be there for the summer and can connect you with their friends and family, as well as show you around! We are a great resource and it’s literally a matter of emailing the Rice international student office, they can for sure connect you with someone from your host country.

I met Nicole in 2023 in a Big Shabbat event at Rice – and here we are a year later, living in the same block in Buenos Aires! 

I was also privileged to have met Nicole during my freshman year, an Argentine who was an exchange student at Rice for a semester. I texted her that I was going to Buenos Aires and she happened to live 1 minute away from my apartment, which was an insane coincidence. She got me hooked in the gym in our block and introduced me to really cool restaurants, besides teaching me a lot about Argentina.

As an international student myself, I am sooo happy to share some tips, teach Portuguese and host my friends who are in Brazil for Loewenstern. Please, don’t be shy to reach out, we are usually so excited to share our country and culture with you! (If you’re going to Brazil, my email is jpm8@rice.edu)

4. Don’t be afraid to approach strangers.

When going out, if you find someone who looks your age and seems friendly, start a conversation and if you feel safe, share about your situation in the country and say that you would like to make friends with. Ask them for tips and invite them to do something on the weekend! Be smart about how much you are sharing and meet in a public location at first – if possible, bring your Loewenstern buddy in first instance.

I did this when Joanna and I were in the little truck in Iguazu falls, and there was this girl sitting across from us with her parents. I had a feeling we could be good friends and started a conversation. It turned out that she was from France and has been an exchange student in Buenos Aires for the past 4 months. From then on we started meeting each other back in the city and she introduced us to incredible people from all over the world who came here to learn Spanish and study in local universities.

This is us cooking french crépes with a real French person who I literally found in the streets. We love Louise!

We love Argentinians!! Nadia, the lady on the right, we had just met on the elevator a few minutes before this picture was taken! She invited all of us for her birthday on the next day. The other one is Franco, my amazing co-worker.

5. Turn your co-workers into friends, invite them out (or in)!

I was so lucky to have incredible workmates who were in a similar age range and were so open to sharing Argentina with Joanna and I! Franco, Flor and Pedro educated me so much about the country’s politics and social issues, at the same time, they provided me with great laughs and camaraderie. We would often invite each other to explore the city through a critical and political look. We visited together the museum of remembrance of the military dictatorship, which used to be a torture chamber, and the museum of the Malvinas war. We visited Riverplate’s stadium (which Franco’s cheers for) and the entire central area of Buenos Aires. They were all history buffs (students of political science and education) and I truly loved learning from them, as well as comparing the issues in Argentina to Brazil and the whole Latin America. We could go from having the most intellectual conversations to learning swear words in ‘Argentinian’ and dancing to funk. Our friendship grew out of the office, and they often slept over on my couch when they needed to spend the night in the city and go to college or the office early on the next day.  They would also always be the life of the party when Joanna and I would host a gathering in our home (Franco and Pedro are amazing dancers and the funniest people in town). Getting to know them truly enriched my understanding of Argentina, and made me reflect on my privileges being an international student on a scholarship in the United States. 

With my co-workers Pedro and Franco at the Casa Rosada, the main government building in Buenos Aires. They were showing us all of the bullet holes from the deadly protests in 1955, as well as the signs of the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, who fought against the dictatorship for their disappeared sons.

With Joanna visiting Flor’s hometown Lomas de Zamorra, in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. We had a delicious lunch! Thank you, Flor!

6. If you can host, host!

Inviting people over for jam sessions, game nights, cooking and dancing has been such a lovely experience. We are privileged to have quite a living room and a balcony, and we love inviting people over. We have found it to be a great way to get closer to locals and to other exchange students, as well as fostering cultural exchanges. We ask people to bring foods and drinks from their country, and in this way we learn a lot (and save money). Joanna and I love to create themes and decorate the place accordingly (for example, we hosted a Texas game night and a Brazil party). If you have space in your accommodation and your housing situation allows you to bring people over, go for it!

Joanna’s excellent decoration (the post-its say ‘Bienvenidos Y’all), Texas Game Night. We played international UNO (green you speak Italian, yellow you speak Portuguese, red you speak Spanish and blue you speak English. No one spoke all of these languages.)

Brazil gathering! I cooked brigadeiro and we ordered salgadinhos! Also we have four nationalities in this picture, crazy no?

7. Find a religious community.

Look up your congregation or religious group on Google maps: if you live in a global place such as Buenos Aires, I am sure you are going to find a great community with many events and opportunities to meet locals. Even if you are not much of a church-goer, this might be a great chance to learn more about spirituality and local religions, even if it is not the one you were raised with. 

I myself am not someone who frequently attends church, but my housemate Joanna invited me to attend Saddleback on Sundays with her and we found there so many incredible people. The moment we stepped in people came in to greet us and invite us to future events. It was a really welcoming environment, and a great way to make friends. 

8. Practice a sport, sign up at a gym or sports center!

I TRULY recommend using your time to focus on yourself and explore different routines. Here I was super inspired by the first time I went to the park near my house and found hundreds of runners. I have been very sedentary for the past 8 years, but I decided to try this out, downloaded a 5k runner and became a STRAVA girl during my time here! I also got a gym membership at a place very close to my home. I feel like if there is a sport you are already into, it’s completely worth it looking for a community or a local center where you can practice and meet people. If you play soccer, volleyball, if you dance… Look up on google a place you can join!  I have met a few people at the gym and might soon join a running group (I am still very bad though)!

Picture from when Joanna and I traveled an hour and a half at 7 am to go to a nearby town for a 3k that we found on Eventbrite 4 days before! It was super fun and we got to meet some cool people during the race!

In conclusion, I truly hope you can experience your host country at most, and make an effort to meet local people as well as other foreigners looking to explore the country. Being away from home can be very lonely, but there are amazing people out there dying to meet you and share their culture with you!

Lots of love,

Juliana

(If you would like to reach out, send me a message on instagram @ju.buticaba)

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Quito, Ecuador

August 21st, 2023 by Christina Franco

It’s been a week since I got back from Ecuador, and I’m glad to be back but there’s also a lot that I miss. Overall, my experience in Ecuador was great. Working with the kids every day was nice because even though we were there teaching them serious subjects, we were able to connect with them and form friendships with them. There were definitely some times where it was frustrating working with some of the faculty at the schools we were teaching at because they didn’t understand the importance of what we were doing, it was still really nice to be able to feel like you’re there for the kids and helping them through situations that hopefully they never have to encounter. I’ve gained a new perspective that I’m very grateful for and I’m appreciative for everything I’ve learned from being in Ecuador. I miss the people that I worked with, but am overall so appreciative of the fact that I had the opportunity to go over there to help others.

After taking the time after to reflect on my experience in Ecuador, I honestly really enjoyed it. I was able to learn so much about the culture as well as connect with so many different people over there It was definitely something that took some getting used to at the beginning, especially adjusting to the work that we were doing over there. In Ecuador, I had to teach young children how to set up boundaries for themselves as well as what was considered appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. As fun as it was to be able to talk to the kids and do activities with them to help them grasp the concepts, there were also various instances where we were confronted with instances of abuse in which we would then go on to help the child in need and provide them with all the resources and support possible. Working at Fundación Azulado was really rewarding work but it also had its difficulties, again due to the subject matter we were dealing with.

Aside from work, I loved the views and culture of Ecuador. The food was amazing and the country was full of beautiful mountain ranges, rivers/lakes, ravines, and more. During my time there I was able to visit many different tourist spots and nature spots that were unforgettable. I think my absolute favorite place that I visited was Quilotoa, which is a lake located in the crater of an inactive volcano. Here we were able to hike down into the crater itself and see the lake up close as well as visit small attractions alongside the lake. Again, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to go to Ecuador and it’s an experience that I will never forget.

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From Uganda to Texas

August 3rd, 2023 by Sumin

Sophie and I landed in Uganda in late May. Although transitioning from Doha to Entebbe Airport was a little bit of a learning curve, I was happy to see the tropical palm trees, the bright orange dirt that covered the roads, and the red rooftops of houses that perfectly complemented the orange dirt. The weather here is surprisingly not too hot but the absence of air conditioning means that unfortunately, I will sweat the same amount I do in Houston.

 

I live in a relatively rural neighborhood located on the outskirts of Kampala called Wakiso Town. I have two neighbors and I also live with a “helper” Agnes who cooks for us. Agnes is only a year younger than me, and she is working in our house with the hopes of going to midwifery school afterward. She is funny, chastises me and Sophie for eating too little matoke, and is always there to protect us from various insects and animals that infiltrate our fort. Aside from Agnes, I also made friendships with the tiny neighbors (ages 2 months to 10 years old) who live next to me. These eight minions keep my weekends busy by stealing my phone and keeping me company.

 

During the first two weeks, we visited different landmarks around Wakiso and learned a lot about Ugandan history and customs. It is crazy how concepts I learned in medical anthropology class are physically manifested in the streets, the advertisements, and in conversations with my Ugandan friends. For example, it is one thing to read about the ethics of international development and another to see every day the countless highways stamped with the flag of the European Union, China, or South Korea with the caption “Developed by X Country.” I saw from a brochure that even Enoch’s gender equality project is funded by the German government and even most of the trucks and vehicles are stamped with Chinese characters, representing the growing Chinese businesses in Uganda. And seeing this chaotic conglomeration of numerous foreign nations and international aid organizations made me question the role of the Ugandan state and how local communities can even voice their opinions if these development programs that are shaping their social norms, providing healthcare, and creating new economies are run by countries that are not even physically within Ugandan borders! Do these organizations even have the incentive to listen to community needs?

 

For the rest of our time in Uganda, Sophie and I finally started our project, which is to conduct an assessment about Tuberculosis care. We spent most of the time interviewing clinicians and patients at the clinic to learn about the TB experience. I was amazed to see the level of coordination both within the community and the clinic to care for a TB patient and realized how difficult it is to manage TB, given that it is a preventable and treatable condition.

 

Sophie and I were having a great time with our fieldwork. But soon, we ran out of luck. 

 

I broke my foot.

 

One can say that I ran through all five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and eventually acceptance. This unexpected injury complicated our experience because Uganda is not the most accessible place for people with crutches. We lived in a mountainous village where we needed a boda-boda (motorbike) to get around. We had to tweak our fieldwork and spent most of the time in our house doing remote work. I could no longer climb the mountain to see the beautiful Ugandan sunset and I had to learn how to ask for help daily. There were some days when one day felt like a thousand years as I spent each hour rotating from one corner of the house to another. 

 

Ugandan Sunset

 

But it would be a lie to say that I went through this challenge by myself. I am so thankful to be surrounded by so many wonderful people who poured their care into me. First, I’m so thankful to Sophie for always supporting me physically and emotionally. I really could not have made it this far without all her support and I’m glad that we got to make the best of our time in Uganda. I’m also thankful for the kids who accompanied me on my daily walk outside as I crutched from one end of the street to another, repeating it until I got tired. Their jokes and smiles helped me adapt to my new normal. Lastly, I’m thankful to my organization for providing transportation to help us finish our fieldwork. Even though fuel is expensive, and it is very difficult for cars to come up to where we stayed, KIFAD took the time and effort to pick us up and bring us to the field so we can complete our project.

 

Looking outside the glass window of the Utah airport, I see concrete, buildings, and mountains in the distance. I can’t express how happy I am to have my first Starbucks in two months. The bright-orange dirt and tropical palm trees that I saw in Uganda not less than a day ago feel unreal as if everything was a dream and I just woke up. I guess I have a lot to process! 

 

Post-Final Presentation

 

Anyways, I’m excited to see everybody again at Rice and hear each other’s experiences. But for now, I’m going to get a Shake Shack.

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